Grow your own dinner 2014

sparrer

lolly5648 wrote: »

Thanks sparrer, I Use 'old money' too. Where did you get the hessian tubs from as I don't think I've seen these in garden centres?
I know what you mean about watering. When I worked I used to love going out into the garden and spend a few minutes water, it really relaxed me.

lolly I got the sacks from my local garden centre, my neighbour told me to ask for lined hessian sacks and I got these two. If you can't get them though most garden centres sell hessian which you can just wrap round the strengthened plastic one for a bit of extra protection. I had them on bricks but have now put them on wheeled bases (£1 in the £shop) so I can move them about, my garden not being very level so the rain gathers in the corner where they stood.

SilverSaloon

I've not done it for 3 or 4 years but this year, after having moved house to a property with plenty of land, I'd like to grow some potatos, onions, carrots, all simple stuff but stuff we use.

In the old barns that came with the house there are some old window panels that the previous owner had kept. i'd like to recycle these old windows to make some of those glass-house things with these.

there is also an old greenhouse i'd like to get up and running again.

annie123

sparrer wrote: »

With respect to all those who know far more about rhubarb in tubs than I do, the reason I've planted mine in tubs is because a) I have a very tiny garden so can't afford the ground space, and b) my neighbour, a keen gardener of some 40 years, grows his in tubs and always ends up giving some away as it's so prolific. I'm just taking advice from him and hope I get better results than you say I might.

Little_Vics wrote: »

I tend to just shove stuff in and hope for the best. Oops.

Sparrer, the above explains why LV should stick the rhubarb in the ground.;) By the end of the summer you'll understand why


QoC, It can go in the compost bin, use as a mulch or add some growmore and replant if you need it urgently.
Compost is my first choice, but when the bins are full by the start of winter, anything left I leave in the tubs and use as a mulch for my raspberries, or earthing up the spuds.

Dizzy_Ditzy

annie123 wrote: »

Sparrer, the above explains why LV should stick the rhubarb in the ground.;) By the end of the summer you'll understand why


QoC, It can go in the compost bin, use as a mulch or add some growmore and replant if you need it urgently.
Compost is my first choice, but when the bins are full by the start of winter, anything left I leave in the tubs and use as a mulch for my raspberries, or earthing up the spuds.

Thank you Annie

It's basically a brand new garden- it was overgrown with brambles and bindweed and once I'd cleared the lot, I had to get rid of the pebbles that had previously been laid down. I got them a compost bin at the end of October ish and they've been putting stuff in it, but there's not loads in there, so I'll get them to put the compost in there and give it a good mix

annie123

My 'do not buy list' for seeds is rather long this year, which is disappointing as I enjoy seed shopping. I was given some nice parsnip seeds and broad bean seeds at xmas, so they're on the list too.

This year I will not be growing 16 tomato plants and over 20 types of spuds.
Sparrer, my garden is smaller than yours, only 10' at it's widest point and 20' to the pond and shed, and although south facing I have neighbours with massive sycamore trees either side and the council planted ones in the park behind are now mature. Makes for inventive growing conditions.

My spuds will be 1st earlies only this year, bought at the National potato day sale near me at the end of the month. Got so carried away last year with all the new types that you don't get in the local shops and have to buy big bags of online as they sell them @ 10p each seed there and before I knew it I had enough spuds for the neighbours gardens too!

I will be increasing the parsnip patch this year, thanks to Johns brilliant method for growing them in clay soil :T but I will be adding cat protection after sowing so that they stay in their cones!

Butternut squash will also be grown again and in larger numbers. I love squash, but struggle to get them enough sun to get a really good crop, so extra height will be added.

Loads of chillis too again as I've been given some home saved seeds of several that I've not grown before.

And watermelon, after last years failure I'm trying again I know they prefer a greenhouse, which I don't have, and full sun, which I don't have either but I'm working on providing warmer and sunnier conditions for them this year.

And my usual beans, peas, salad stuff and fruit.

This year I will get my nice new shed as tidy and organised as Fay's.

sparrer

Oh right annie, gotcha (re LV)

Your garden sounds quite a challenge, will be interested to follow your posts as it sounds like you do very well with the space you have.

Old potato compost - I usually mix it with new compost and feed for flower tubs, baskets etc, but always seem to miss one or two tiny spuds. It makes me, and my neighbour, laugh to see a green 'sprout' appear next to my fuchsias, geraniums, pansies etc

zafiro1984

annie123 wrote: »

This year I will not be growing 16 tomato plants and over 20 types of spuds.
.

Wow, 20 types, impressed, don't you have blight where you are?

Grow plenty of parsnips - they make excellent wine as does rhubarb
4lb of parsnips makes 1 gallon of wine and I freeze the parsnips after I've boiled them (for the wine) and use them throughout the year roasted. Two uses out of one vegetable, a win win situation.

seemasfriend

As I've mentioned before I have a half acre plot to plant this year. It is clear open ground - clay soil that has been heavily manured. I will probably only be able to work this two or three times a week. What can I grow that is fairly low maintenance? Potatoes? Carrots?

zafiro1984

seemasfriend wrote: »

As I've mentioned before I have a half acre plot to plant this year. It is clear open ground - clay soil that has been heavily manured. I will probably only be able to work this two or three times a week. What can I grow that is fairly low maintenance? Potatoes? Carrots?

Not sure about carrots, they like light soil, sandy soil is good for them. I could never grow decent ones when we were on clay but since we have moved I get the most fantastic carrots.

I'd put sweetcorn, squash, courgettes on the list

annie123

zafiro1984 wrote: »

Wow, 20 types, impressed, don't you have blight where you are?

Been here 20 years and until 2 years ago the answer would have been no! First and second earlies are in my tummy before blight is around, so it's only maincrop that could get affected. I had a touch of blight towards the end of last summer but I catch it early, cut the haulms off and leave the spuds in the ground for a few more weeks to fatten up.
I discovered I could keep the tomatoes going for weeks too by picking off infected leaves as soon as I spotted them. Last summer being hot and sunny wasn't bad, but the year before was nasty, so wet my courgette got a brolly over it